A headache
Meaning
The phrase refers either to a physical pain in the head or, more commonly in an idiomatic sense, to an annoying problem or person that causes a lot of trouble and worry.
Origin
The literal meaning of "headache" – a pain in the head – has been understood and described since ancient times, a universal human experience. Its figurative use, however, is a more recent development, emerging as language evolved to describe abstract annoyances with physical discomforts. By the 19th and early 20th centuries, it became common to use the term to describe anything or anyone causing significant trouble, frustration, or mental strain, effectively porting the sensation of physical agony into the realm of exasperating problems.
Examples
- After staring at the screen for hours, I started to get a pounding headache.
- Dealing with all the paperwork for the new house has been a real headache.